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Minami-ke Episode 03
"The Delinquent Football Player Returns" "Tama Keri Banchō Futatabi" (球蹴り番長再び) Airdate: 21 October 2007 Internal Date: Sometime in October 2007, after the 14th. Previous Episode → 02 Next Episode → 04 Synopsis Kana loses repeated test score comparisons to Fujioka, and underperforms Chiaki as well. She then attempts to upstage Chiaki in a different way. Fujioka again attempts to make his feelings known to Kana, who again seeks advice from Chiaki. The next day Kana invites Fujioka over for dinner, but not for the reasons he hopes. Segment One [Manga]Kana examines her score on a recent test and discovers she received a 65 out of 100, "better than expected". She then asks Keiko what her score is. Keiko at first deflects the question by asking about Kana's score, but is eventually forced to reveal that she got a perfect score of 100. This draws a tirade from Kana, who calls her boring and unhuman.Kana (02:41), to Keiko: "You got 100 out of 100, right? 100 bulls-eyes in 100 shorts, right? No errors, right? Perfect, right? How ridiculously boring! What a boring grade! If you're so good at math, why don't you become a calculator, you calculator!" Kana decides to challenge Fujioka to a competition of test grades. Fujioka scores 66, devastating Kana. Kana challenges him to a rematch with the English test scores next period. Fujioka reluctantly agrees and Kana asserts that the loser must act like a dog and give the winner his or her paw. Keiko attempts to give her the wise advice not to go so far with it, but Kana does not listen. Next period, Kana scores an about-right 61 on the test and Keiko scores another 100.Kana (04:33), upon learning that Keiko scored 100 on English: "You should just move to America." Kana, worried about losing to Fujioka and clearly having no sense of ethics, uses a red pen to change her written score to 66, and then 68, in order to exceed Fujioka's previous score of 66. Fujioka arrives and reveals that he got a 69. Kana refuses to conceded defeat, and the pattern repeats itself over the remaining classes of the day: Kana alters her score, loses to Fujioka, and demands a rematch. Meanwhile Keiko scores 100 and is abused for it by Kana.If Kana's school is lower-tier, and contains students as poor as she is initially, then what is Keiko doing there? Never answered. The only exceptions are PE and lunch, which Kana spends tormenting Keiko. Finally, after having won every single comparison, Fujioka asks for the promised reward, expecting Kana to give him her hand to hold. Kana high-kicks his hand into his face, saying that her feet also count as paws, if she is considered as a dog.Kana high-kicking Fujioka.While this sequence reveals that Fujioka and Kana both have very poor academics, they are later shown scoring in the very high nineties on a math test. Furthermore, they are not overwhelmingly elated or surprised, only pleased. Even with Keiko's assistance, this is a remarkable academic turnaround that is not explained. Segment Two At home, Kana asks Chiaki about her test grades. Chiaki changes the subject, complimenting a package of chips she gives to Kana, and getting up to pour a glass of milk. Kana enjoys the crackers, but then realizes that Chiaki has dodged the question. She asks Chiaki why she has done so, and Chiaki responds that the conversation cannot end well. Kana insists, and Chiaki shows Kana her test grade of 97. Kana accuses her of suppressing her grade below 100 to seem more human and drinks Chiaki's milk as revenge. Chiaki comments that things have turned out as she expected. Kana pours them both a glass of milk, saying they are even. Chiaki correctly intuits that Kana's test grades were poor. Kana insists that they were on the contrary, human, and drinks her milk. Continuing her tirade of jealousy, she tells Chiaki that Keiko scored 100. Chiaki asks Kana what her scores were like, but Kana ignores her and drinks Chiaki's milk again. Chiaki tries to pour herself more milk but Kana seizes the carton and drinks it all, claiming it as a demonstration of her power. Chiaki then points out that Haruka had wanted to make cream stew for dinner, but that it was now impossible with no milk. Kana runs off to go buy more milk, but immediately collapses to the floor with a stomachache from all the milk. She calls the milk stupid, and Chiaki points out that Kana is the one who is stupid.Kana (09:51): "The milk is a baka-yaro!" Chiaki: "You're the baka-yaro." Afterward, Kana lies on the floor, soothing her stomach, and continues to discuss academics with Chiaki. Chiaki criticizes Kana's poor habit of cramming for exams. Kana goes off on a tangent, claiming that Chiaki's cynical attitude will ruin any future marriage, dooming the groom to boredom and ennui. Kana also says that Chiaki will be unable to make an impressive meal. Chiaki calls Kana's bluff and tells her that Kana, with her "humanity" should be able to cook an impressive meal. Unable to back out, Kana agrees, claiming that her spur-of-the-moment impulsiveness is the key to great cooking. Chiaki thinks to herself that, on the contrary, this is what led to the hideous cream stew of earlier.Minami-ke Episode 01#Segment Two. Cream stew appears in the series more often than chance, for instance also appearing in Minami-ke: Okaeri Episode 04#Segment TwoOne wonders what Chiaki is thinking, since she clearly knows full well the quality of Kana's cooking. Perhaps she too got caught in the moment. This segment does not appear in the manga, and perhaps she would not have been so inconsistent there. A while later, Kana and Chiaki lie collapsed around the kotatsu, having tasted what appears to be a hideous gratin/fried egg/pineapple/tempura/paella concoction made by Kana. Haruka arrives home and is surprised by the food. Before she can figure out what it is or taste it, Chiaki seizes the dishes and food, preventing her from doing so, and offers to help with the cream stew. Kana leaves to buy milk. The meal Haruka cooks is delicious, and Chiaki declares Haruka the victor. Haruka is somewhat confused. Segment Three [Manga]The entirety of Segment Three and Four are dependent on the events of Minami-ke Episode 01#Segment Five, and indeed there is strong parallelism between that scene and Segment Three here.Kana is soundly asleep in an empty classroom when Fujioka walks up and wakes her up. Believing him to be once again launching an attack, she protests that launching a surprise attack is unfair, and demands that he fight her fairly. Fujioka explains that he is merely here to help her get to the their next class, which is now Music.In most if not all Asian schools, the homeroom class remains rooted together to one classroom throughout the school day, with instructors traveling from room to room for varying periods. Classes only leave when special equipment or location is required, for instance for PE or Music. Kana reluctantly accepts this explanation, but, dissatisfied, Fujioka decides to again confess his lover of her. Once again, Kana rushes home, this time to request advice of the "Chiaki-sama" who was so helpful to her before.Except, of course, Chiaki wasn't really helpful at all. Kana is misguided. Kana explains to Chiaki what has happened and asks her what it means. Chiaki gives her the common-sense answer: Fujioka really does like her, and events are as they seem.Kana (14:16): "Today at school...the Banchou told me that he really liked me. Along with that love letter from before, I'm starting to wonder about it all..." Chiaki: Maybe he just really likes you. Kana does not accept this, and accuses Chiaki of teasing her. After smacking Kana with a book, Chiaki asks for more details. After hearing Kana's twisted version of events, Chiaki then explains that Kana was panicked by Fujioka's attack, and therefore misunderstood his words. She explains that Fujioka instead said that Kana lacked proper defenses, and that she had used the wrong meaning for one of the homonyms in the sentence. Embarrassed, Kana laments the fact that she has repeatedly misunderstood Fujioka's supposed threats to be indications of love.Kana (15:48): "Am I desperate? Do I really want this sweet and sour relationship?" Chiaki then points out that Kana should now know what to do. The next day, Fujioka attempts to greet Kana, but she greets him with hostility and a defensive pose. This continues throughout the day, causing Fujioka to despair that she must certainly hate him now. Segment Four [Manga]When Chiaki arrives home that day, she is surprised to discover Fujioka in the household. Kana soon arrives and explains to Chiaki that she invited Fujioka, the Banchou, as a gesture of reconciliation, because she does not really want to fight him, and also to dispose of the extra curry made the day before. An extended flashback occurs where Kana, preparing curry, tries to fix the consistency of the curry and repeatedly overcompensates by adding curry powder and water in alternation, following the advice of Chiaki, who is too engrossed in her book to notice what is going on. By the end of the sequence, three separate pots of curry have been made. Kana explains that by disposing of the curry and suing for peace with Fujioka, she can kill two birds with one stone. Meanwhile, Fujioka is absorbed in his own thoughts, celebrating his invitation to the household of the girl he likes. When Kana offers him a drink, he overreacts, startled, and arouses Chiaki's suspicion. The meal that night is conducted in a warm atmosphere, and Haruka comments to Chiaki afterward, as they are washing the dishes, that Fujioka is a nice boy, and similar to their father in many ways. Chiaki, having already disposed of her "Banchou" theory, reacts strongly to this information.This scene is notable for the way in which Haruka refers to their father, strongly implying he is dead. It also establishes Chiaki's feelings about their lack of parents, and is the founding moment for her surrogate familyHaruka (19:46): "Fujioka-kun is a nice boy" Chiaki: "That's true. He can't be a Banchou. That must be wrong." Haruka: "It's strange, he carries the same atmosphere that Father did..." Chiaki: "Really? Father was like him?" On the TV that Fujioka and Kana are watching, an episode of Sensei and Ninomiya-kun is playing in which Sensei and Ninomiya reunite in a dramatic fashion in the rain, and Ninomiya is hit by a car. Fujioka is about to leave when they notice Chiaki watching them. Kana questions what is going on, and Chiaki uses a transparent excuse in order to sit between Fujioka's legs, in order to replicate the experience of having a father.Chiaki sitting between Fujioka's legs. Haruka arrives and begins to chat with Fujioka about soccer.Fujioka mentions that he plays forward, but in Minami-ke: Okaeri Episode 10#Segment Three (Minami-ke Chapter 052) he tells Touma he plays any position. In Minami-ke Chapter 014, the chapter corresponding to this section, he does not mention his position, indicating that this inconsistency is probably an error on the part of the anime adaptation. However, one could interpret this as meaning he can play any position but generally plays forward. The entire setting is familial and heart-warming, causing Kana to conclude that Fujioka is trying to win the good graces of Haruka and Chiaki as well as Kana, and for some reason construes this an evil plan to "kill three birds with one stone". She jumps up and demands Fujioka leave instantly, forcing him out despite the countervailing invitation from the others to visit again.Kana ordering Fujioka out. Fujioka is dismayed, but this is nothing compared to the realization that he has left carrying a "gift" from them: a pot of the curry that Kana made.Kana's poor cooking skills are repeatedly addressed in the series, for instance as recently as Segment Two above. Manner of Adaptation Except for the entirely original Segment Two, this episode hedges closely to the manga, using only minor embellishments.Which, as mentioned in the previous note, embroils the adaptation in a minor internal contradiction Segment Two is a reasonable extrapolation of Segment One. Fan Reaction Reaction to this episode was positive, and the episode was considered a worth continuation of the previous two, perhaps even better than episode 2. The elaboration of Kana and Fujioka's relationship was appreciated. Referbacks Notes Trivia Cultural References Unanswered Questions Memorable Moments Quotes Category:Episode Category:Minami-ke Season 1